Canada’s women’s hockey team for Milano-Cortina Olympics heavy on veterans from 2022 gold squad

16 veterans from 2022 team headline Olympic roster

The roster is in, and 16 veterans from a dominant team that won gold in Beijing in 2022 will lead the Canadian women’s hockey team into the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

It all begins with their captain, Marie-Philip Poulin, who has scored more golden Olympic goals than any other hockey player, male or female.

The player they call Captain Clutch is looking to earn her fifth Olympic medal in her fifth Games, something only two other players have accomplished: Canadians Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford. A fourth gold medal would match the total earned by Wickenheiser, Hefford and one of Poulin’s idols, Caroline Ouellette.

Other forwards returning from the 2022 Olympic team include Sarah Fillier (New York Sirens), Laura Stacey (Montreal Victoire), Emma Maltais (Toronto Sceptres), Sarah Nurse (Vancouver Goldeneyes), Blayre Turnbull (Toronto Sceptres), Emily Clark (Ottawa Charge), Natalie Spooner (Sceptres) and Brianne Jenner (Charge).

Most of the members of the 2022 blue line are back: Renata Fast (Sceptres), Erin Ambrose (Victoire), Jocelyne Larocque (Charge), Ella Shelton (Sceptres) and Claire Thompson (Goldeneyes).

Ann-Renée Desbiens (Victoire) returns in net and should be this team’s starter, having never lost a game at the Olympics. So too is longtime backup goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer (Goldeneyes), who also won with this team in 2022.